Obama administration puts student, other deportations on hold to focus on those with criminal records

Senior Obama administration officials announced this afternoon that more than 300,000 immigrants will have their deportation cases reviewed because they may be a low priority.

Instead, the administration wants to focus on high-priority cases involving those with serious criminal records, two officials said on background.

Discretion, they said, could be provided for those who have families here, U.S. military service, and might qualify for a proposal known as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act for those who have some college education. Potential DREAM Act students–and there are many in North Texas– will not be given a categorical approval but will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the officials said.

Gay or lesbian couples will be defined as a family, the senior officials said.

All those deemed eligible for review may have a chance at a work permit, as well.

“The Department of Justice will be a full partner” in the new initiative, the two officials said. Immigration cases now make up about half of the prosecutions in federal criminal courts. The two officials acknowledged there are problems with inaccuracies in “rap sheets” handled by the FBI.

The Obama administration has come under harsh criticism for being too tough on immigrants–and for not being tough enough.

A prosecutorial discretion memo issued by the head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in June has been the target of both groups. That memo on prosecutorial discretion was part of the focus of today’s announcement.